The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating data for commanding the operation of an object machine.
Since machines in general such as machine tools having computers, e.g. NC machine tools which are controlled by programs based on specific numerical data, have been developed and sophisticated, the operability thereof has been remarkably improved. This trend of automatic control has also remarkably advanced in the field of measuring machines, which measure various data.
The automatic machine operations, which are controlled by computers using programs which contain numeric values, are very suitable for producing or measuring a large number of substances with a small number of types, thereby providing high efficiency for.
However, these automatic operations are not suitable for producing a small number of substances with a large number of types, resulting in low efficiency.
This is because data corresponding to the operation of each machine which produces or measures each substances should be created depend on variations of the types. In other words, to change data for commanding operations with the conventional technologies, CAD data of an original drawing is to be changed first, and all of the steps of creating command data are to be changed, which results in a long work time and serious risk.
In the conventional apparatus, since CAD data of original drawings are directly converted into operation data, changes of operation data result in changes of the CAD data of the original drawings or changes of the programs per se which convert CAD data into operation data.
If the CAD data of the original drawings were changed, it would become very difficult to know what was the initial CAD data, how the initial CAD data was changed, and which is the changed data.
In addition, if the CAD data of the original drawings were changed, the risk of erasing the initial CAD data would become high. Thus, it is stated that direct changes of the initial CAD data should be avoided.
Moreover, from the view point of efficiency, changes of programs which convert CAD data into operation data are very difficult.
In other words, with conventional apparatus, if the CAD data of the original drawings is data of a circle, then the original CAD data accords with the operation data of programs such as "measure the diameter of the circle" or "make a round hole by using the drill", changing the operation data into such operation as data "measure the circumference of a particular circle" or "make a square hole" from the programs above require changes of the entire programs.
Operation data, e.g., "turn on the light" or "supply oil" which do not accord with the CAD data of the original drawings may accord with CAD data of original drawings depending on programs. Thus, when operation data such as "designating a lamp to be turned on when a hole with a diameter of 10 mm is measured" or "designating the amount of oil to be supplied when a hole with a diameter of 10 mm is made" is changed, the program itself must be changed. Thus, the above described very troublesome work is required.